press-gang

noun

: a detachment of men under command of an officer empowered to force men into military or naval service
press-gang transitive verb

Examples of press-gang in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
When Captain Kidd dispatched a press-gang to find new recruits for the Wager, six members of the gang itself deserted. David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023 Some are just folks off the street who get kidnapped or press-ganged into service in the navy. Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

press entry 4

First Known Use

1693, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of press-gang was in 1693

Dictionary Entries Near press-gang

Cite this Entry

“Press-gang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/press-gang. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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